Second Wind

53

"Hey, Zambai," Franky spoke up as he picked up a card from the deck they were playing with.

"Yeah, Aniki?" Zambai replied, eyes not leaving his hand.

"You ever feel like you're missing something that you should really be a part of?"

"Sure. It usually happens when I'm missing out on a big score."

"Yeah, me too, but it's not money this time. I feel like I'm missing some action."

"Not to be rude Aniki, but you get more of that than the rest of us combined, and I don't need to know what you mean by "action," to be sure of that, because it works both ways."

Franky sighed. "Never mind," he said as he pushed all his chips toward the center of the table. "All in."

"Fold."

"Fold."

"What!? Are we playing poker here or doing origami?" Franky demanded. "Learn a little from Zambai, at least he's still—"

"Fold."

"Cowards, the lot of ya."

The Franky Family was interrupted from their dead end game when the door to the Franky House got blown down for the second time that day.

"Are you kidding me!? I just fixed that!" Franky shouted. "That was two and a half seconds of my life! You better have a good explanation for this, Idiotburg!" Upon looking more closely at his old friend, he added in a slightly concerned voice, "And how did you get those injuries? Who are these guys?"

"Franky! You have to run! Take the blueprints and get out of here! CP9 is on its way!" Iceburg yelled urgently.

Franky's demeanor immediately grew serious. So...this day has finally come.

"CP9 did this to you then? I'm surprised they got passed Galley-La," Franky commented.

Iceburg gritted his teeth. "I was betrayed. They had agents in Dock 1. Lucci and Kaku. Kalifa and Blueno are with them too."

Franky's eyes widened. That was a serious breach. They had all been living in this city for years. To think they'd been the enemy all along...

"Never mind that now, Franky," Iceburg said. "You have to go into hiding. If they get their hands on the blueprints—"

"Screw that," Franky said instantly. "I told you the day you gave them to me that I wouldn't just leave Water 7, and I'm not about to leave now when the shit hits the fan."

"Dammit, Franky! Can you swallow your pride for once? The world is more important than this!"

"You're quite right," came a voice from behind them, causing them both to freeze. "That's why, for the sake of the world, you'll hand over those blueprints, Franky," Lucci said as he walked into the building. "Or should I say, Cutty Flam?"

Marine Admiral Aokiji was starting to get annoyed. Just a few minutes ago, it seemed as if his battle with the two notorious East Blue rookies had begun to draw to a close. Now, it seemed as if they had gained a second wind. They were fighting even harder than before, and although he was far from fatigued, Aokiji was actually beginning to feel the effects of their long fight. It wouldn't be so frustrating, perhaps, if he was dealing with two of the higher ups of a Yonko crew, but Paradise rookies? This was ridiculous.

He knew he would have to go all out if he wanted to defeat these two. But he couldn't do that in the middle of the city. He was a Marine, not a mass murderer of the innocent. So with that in mind, he leapt backwards, forming a pair of wings out of ice, and took to the air.